INDIANAPOLIS — Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers re-confirmed Saturday that he will not work out at the NFL Scouting Combine, because he wants more time to recover from a partially torn meniscus that required post-season surgery.

Bowers, who is vying to be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, said he will workout at his pro day March 10 at Clemson.

“I’m 100 percent,” Bowers said. “The meniscus was a small meniscus tear. It hampered me for my first few weeks of training, which is why I’m not doing anything at the Combine, because I feel that I need the same amount of time that everybody else had to train and fully prepare at the Combine.”

Bowers said he had no regrets about his decision to turn pro following his junior season. The biggest criticism of Bowers is that he was a dominant player for just one college season.

“It was a tough decision (to leave college), I weighed out all the pros and cons,” Bowers said. “Ultimately my family left the decision up to me.

“When they say one-year wonder, my first year I didn’t have a great year. I wasn’t playing a whole lot. My sophomore year I had a pretty decent year and injury hindered a couple of my games. This year I turned it up. I didn’t have any injuries, I was starting full time, knew the defense, I’d been in the system for two years. I felt comfortable. I had one good year, and the rest were considered busts.”

Asked to assess his strengths, Bowers said: “Never had any off-the-field issues, I have good character. Anytime somebody can put you in the sentence with Reggie White and Bruce Smith, you must be doing something right.”